Vamana Purana — Jabali on the Banyan Tree, Shloka 20
Jabali Bound on the Banyan Tree and Nandayanti’s Appeal at Sri-Kantha on the Yamuna
आसीद् दण्डो नाम नृपः प्रभूतबलवाहनः स च वव्रे महातेजाः पौरोहित्याय भार्गवम्
āsīd daṇḍo nāma nṛpaḥ prabhūtabalavāhanaḥ sa ca vavre mahātejāḥ paurohityāya bhārgavam
Ada seorang raja bernama Daṇḍa, memiliki kekuatan besar serta pasukan dan kendaraan perang yang melimpah. Sang raja yang amat bercahaya itu memilih seorang Bhārgava sebagai purohita (pendeta istana).
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FAQs
It signals legitimacy through Vedic-ritual authority: the king’s sovereignty is ideally guided by a learned priest who maintains rites, auspicious timing, and ethical counsel. The later downfall (implied by the prior verse) becomes sharper: even with proper institutional support, the king’s personal adharma can undo him.
It suggests a fully equipped kingship—troops (bala) and logistical capacity (vāhana: mounts, chariots, conveyances). The text underscores that material power and infrastructure do not prevent moral collapse.
Purāṇas often set the dharmic stage first (king + priestly guidance) to show that the failure is not due to ignorance alone but to willful surrender to kāma—making the exemplum more forceful for the Daitya addressee.